14 Survey Results: Survey Questions and Responses
Survey Questions and
Responses
The SPEC Survey on Libraries, Presses, and Publishing was designed by Laurie N. Taylor, Digital Scholarship
Librarian, Brian W. Keith, Associate Dean for Administration and Faculty Affairs, and Chelsea Dinsmore,
Director of Digital Production Services, at the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, and
Meredith Morris-Babb, Director and CEO of the University Press of Florida. These results are based on
responses from 63 of the 123 ARL member libraries (51%) by the deadline of August 8, 2017. The survey’s
introductory text and questions are reproduced below, followed by the response data and selected
comments from the respondents.
Most of the 123 ARL member libraries are engaged in publishing or publishing support activities such
as hosting digital publications, administering open access publishing systems, creating open educational
resources, providing editorial services, or participating on scholarly advisory boards. Eighty-one
institutions are both ARL and Association of American University Presses (AAUP) members, and at 21 of
those institutions, the press reports to the library. In addition, several research libraries have launched
new presses within the library. With similarly aligned missions and roles, libraries and presses frequently
collaborate to foster the creation, promotion, accessing, and preservation of research and creative works
in support of teaching, research, outreach, and public scholarship. The nature of library and press
collaborations and working relationships is in transition.
The purpose of this study is threefold: 1) to discover which activities are associated with library
publishing 2) to discover the level of library/publishing/press integration and collaboration with or
creation of formal publishing/press operations and, 3) to discover the organizational structuring of
these activities and programs. This study will gather information on the breadth of practice taking place
at the intersection of research libraries, presses, and publishing, and on the blurring of boundaries as
libraries engage in publishing and press activities in new ways. In order to capture the most information
possible during such rapid change, this survey contains questions that may not be applicable to all ARL
institutions. Please answer as many of the questions as apply to your current situation.
INSTITUTIONAL AND/OR LIBRARY PRESS
1. Does your library’s parent institution have a press? N=63
Yes 44 70%
Not yet, but the institution plans to develop one 0 —
No 19 30%
Survey Questions and
Responses
The SPEC Survey on Libraries, Presses, and Publishing was designed by Laurie N. Taylor, Digital Scholarship
Librarian, Brian W. Keith, Associate Dean for Administration and Faculty Affairs, and Chelsea Dinsmore,
Director of Digital Production Services, at the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, and
Meredith Morris-Babb, Director and CEO of the University Press of Florida. These results are based on
responses from 63 of the 123 ARL member libraries (51%) by the deadline of August 8, 2017. The survey’s
introductory text and questions are reproduced below, followed by the response data and selected
comments from the respondents.
Most of the 123 ARL member libraries are engaged in publishing or publishing support activities such
as hosting digital publications, administering open access publishing systems, creating open educational
resources, providing editorial services, or participating on scholarly advisory boards. Eighty-one
institutions are both ARL and Association of American University Presses (AAUP) members, and at 21 of
those institutions, the press reports to the library. In addition, several research libraries have launched
new presses within the library. With similarly aligned missions and roles, libraries and presses frequently
collaborate to foster the creation, promotion, accessing, and preservation of research and creative works
in support of teaching, research, outreach, and public scholarship. The nature of library and press
collaborations and working relationships is in transition.
The purpose of this study is threefold: 1) to discover which activities are associated with library
publishing 2) to discover the level of library/publishing/press integration and collaboration with or
creation of formal publishing/press operations and, 3) to discover the organizational structuring of
these activities and programs. This study will gather information on the breadth of practice taking place
at the intersection of research libraries, presses, and publishing, and on the blurring of boundaries as
libraries engage in publishing and press activities in new ways. In order to capture the most information
possible during such rapid change, this survey contains questions that may not be applicable to all ARL
institutions. Please answer as many of the questions as apply to your current situation.
INSTITUTIONAL AND/OR LIBRARY PRESS
1. Does your library’s parent institution have a press? N=63
Yes 44 70%
Not yet, but the institution plans to develop one 0 —
No 19 30%
